Phantom of the Opera and Large Breasts

Kaitlyn wasn't able to be with us for Christmas...she was visiting her dad in California. When she got home, we got to have a mini Christmas with her. She got her normal stack of books and stocking full of DVDs, gum, lip gloss, and nail polish, and some new sheets for her bed. But the big gift was tickets to see Phantom of the Opera!!

The show was last night, and we got all decked up for a night on the town...

I made sure we took pictures...LOTS of pictures...

and I'm showing these pictures for three reasons...

One - because I'm a blogger, and posting pictures and writing about the inane moments of my life is something akin to a compulsive disorder.

Two - because we looked really great.

Three - because I recently had some surgery of the cosmetic variety to fix some problem areas on my body, and while there, I enhanced OTHER areas of my body.

Now, before you go all psycho about boob jobs and stuff...know that what I did was a LIFT (nursing 5 babies does some pretty terrible things to a woman's breasts...it was seriously as if they were in some kind of competition to see which one would reach my knees first)...and to do that lift, there was a significant amount of breast tissue that had to be removed, so it was like a REDUCTION. I wanted nice, round breasts when I was done, and was a little concerned about the REMOVAL of my breast tissue, so I forced (yes...FORCED...the Doctor was against it) the doc to put in SMALL implants (only 250 cc...about golf ball size) behind the muscle so I could be nice and round (he refused to go bigger than 250's...said I wouldn't need it).

Anyway...6 to half dozen another...I fit into all my old bras. Its as if NOTHING changed...except when I take said bras OFF...there isn't this huge gravity tug in my chest area. They stay put. NICE.

And my hubby smiles a lot if my shirt is off...but that is another story for another time...

So I'm happy. They look natural. Proportional to my body size (which is very full).

So I get all dolled up, and I wear this cute blouse that shows 'em off. And I admit, just to tease my hubby, I used a few make-up tricks to accentuate the cleavage (didn't know you could do that? Well...you CAN. And it works AMAZINGLY well...no matter your cup size. It's all about light and shadow...give me a call and I'll clue you in).

So...I think I look pretty good. Hubby is all smiles. So we take pictures.
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Not bad...Katie and I look cute...she's so pretty!! And my make-up tricks are working great on the cleavage...
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Notice that when I take pics...everyone comes out crisp and clear, and when Jason and Kate are behind the camera, everything is blurry? Look at Kate in this pic...she is GLOWING...I just can't get over how pretty she is...and Jason looks HOT...

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I like this pic, too...besides the orange-y tint my houses' lighting gives everything...

But then...I see THIS picture...(below)
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HOLY HELL!!!

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What are those gigantic watermelons doing in my blouse?!?!?!

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My head looks smaller than my breasts!!

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My Boobs are NOT that big...I swear. True...I was wearing a cleavage enhancing blouse, and used that whole light-shadow thing...but those look like BALLOONS IN MY BRA!!!

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No more pictures with me in front, leaning back.

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NO WAY.

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I'm sure I could've had Jason just lift his embrace up a bit and cover 'em up with his hands...

I'm sure he wouldn't have minded...

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By the way...Phantom was AWESOME. And although we were up in the balcony, the high altitude did not cause any bursting in my blouse, and the extra weight in front did not propel me forward over the railing and into the orchestra.

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So I consider the whole endeavour a success, after all....

Christmas Day 2009

I don't think there is any more highly anticipated day in a child's life than Christmas Day.


The day the Bog Man in Red descends upon every house and passes judgement on those within...Naughty? or Nice?

My children were apparently especially Nice this year, as Christmas morning dawned to reveal a stacked tree and stuffed stockings...all of which the kids could SEE from upstairs...but could not yet touch!!

I remember peeking down the stairs as a child with my sister...begging my parents to get up at 4am, and them telling us we had to wait until AT LEAST 6am....to which we would camp outside their door and whisper back and forth excitedly about the size, shape, and quantity of gifts we could spy from upstairs. We did this until we were grown...I remember being 16 and laying on my stomach to get the best view of under the tree.

Now I delight in prolonging my children's anticipation the same way my parents tortured...I mean prolonged...me.

Brigham has been asking for a Lionel Train Coin Bank for more than 3 years. So should I wonder at the fact that after a whole day begging coins off brothers and sisters and checking under couch cushions and in car ashtrays...he was bored with it and was asking which of his brothers or sisters wanted it?

WTHeck?

I don't get kids today...too much instant gratification...not enough appreciation...

The punk...

Santa brought a BIG family gift this year...a new TV and a Blue-Ray Home Theater!! SWEET!!!

Of course, Dad spent all day setting it up. But strangely enough...stuff like that makes him happy...

Jason and I got each other the SAME gift...NEW PHONES!!! Hurray!!!

Nicolette got Barbie bath toys and a HUGE box of art supplies...hopefully she'll use them on PAPER and not on my walls.

Both Joseph and Brigham got these HUGE building sets that make a marble maze. Joseph spent 3 days putting his together. Brigham spent 3 minutes, decided it was too hard, put it in its' bin, and hasn't touched it since.

Need I say it again? PUNK!!!!

So we all had a lovely Christmas. We miss Kate, who is spending Christmas with her Dad in Cali. She'll have to open her gifts when she gets home. But other than that little black spot...it was great!!

Now to go and try and convince that PUNK o' mine to actually LIKE his gifts...

...sigh...

Feliz Noche Buena!!!

In my family, we celebrate Christmas Eve with cookies, chili, and family. I really miss Christmas Eves surrounded by the Fraley uncles and cousins, laughing and giving gifts and being together.

Here in South Florida, traditions are different. True to our philosophy of experiencing every place we live to the fullest, we've temporarily suspended our own holiday traditions to adopt those of our surroundings. The last two years, we've celebrated a South American Christmas at our friends, the Inzas, This year, we were invited to a Cuban Noche Buena at my dear friends, Ily Gagnes.

Ily is a very dear friend of mine, and her daughter, Brianna, is Kaitlyns best friend. Unfortunately, Kaitlyn was spending Christmas in California with her dad, and couldn't go with us to the Gagnes...and we really missed her. But we had a good time, anyway!!!

Noche Buena doesn't begin until 8 or 9 pm (at the earliest). For Noche Buena (which means "Christmas Eve"), you roast a pig. This was our porky dinner...we debated all evening as to whether or not he was of the straw or stick variety (assuming all brick piggies were safe at home enjoying hot cocoa and waiting for Santa). Other traditional food is white rice, black beans, sweet Cuban tamales (SO GOOD!!), soft Cuban bread, and yucca w/ garlic. I used to hate yucca (we called it YUCK-A)...but Ilys' was fabulous, and I actually went back for seconds...garlic breath be damned!! It was SO DELICIOUS...both Jason and I pigged out (literally!!!).

Ily's oldest son Brandon was home from university for Christmas, which made Ily VERY happy. I love chatting with Brandon, so it made my day, too.

I look as chubby as I felt in this pic...but I love Ily so much that I don't care!!!

This is Ily and Kaitlyns best friend, Brianna! Merry Christmas!!!

When we got home (at an early hour for Miami...it was only 11pm!!), we discovered that the Christmas Eve Elf had been to our house, and dropped off the first presents of the holiday!! The kids got to un-wrappin' right quick!!!

Brig was so tired, he could hardly hold his eyes open. But check out the awesome new jammies the Christmas Elf brought!!

The girls got darling jammies, too!!!

Okay...we're ready for bed and Santa Claus!!

Merry Christmas to All...and to All, A Good Night!!!

O Christmas Tree!!!

There is something I love about a Christmas tree before it is weighed down with all the trimmings and trappings of the season. It's so simple. So elegant.

A blank canvas symbolizing all a child's hopes for Christmas morning.

One of my FAVORITE parts of my Christmas tree is my Christmas tree skirt. I bought it back in Chicago when I was working for Crate & Barrel (BEST job, BEST company EVER). It's sad, really...that it gets covered up so completely and you don't get to enjoy it all season. Maybe this year, I'll avoid actually putting gifts UNDER the tree and instead put them AROUND the tree.

This year for our annual Christmas Tree decorating FHE, Joseph played Santa. It's a big job...but I think he was just the right man for the job...

Jason's ornament was an ESPN Santa. It says about 5 super funny things...my favorite of which is: "That's it!! Show's over!! Mrs. Claus...Big Daddys' comin' home!!" It makes me laugh because "Big Daddy" is actually Jason's nickname every place he has worked, thanks to having such a large family. So every time there was some kind of team competition between stores, Jason's team shirt always had his number and "Big Daddy" screen-printed across the back.

Here's a close-up. You can't see it...but Santa is actually wearing shiny green exercise shorts under the desk!!

My ornament is so indicative of my life as a mom. It is an adorable washing machine that spins and lights up. I guess symbolic of the biggest chore I do around here...

Next year, Jason said he'll buy me the matching dryer!!

Rock On, Kaitlyn...Rock On. Especially with that super cute electric guitar that sings "Jingle Bell Rock"!

I love the jingle bell detail on this guitar!!!

Joseph got the next set in his "Snow Buddies" series. I was afraid that he was too big for it this year...and i asked him if he was ready to get some more...grown-up...ornaments. But he said: "No way!!!"

I love my boy.

And this year his Snow Buddy is friendly with an Artic Seal pup!!! How cute!!!

Savannah got the next ornament in her "Snowball and Tuxedo" series. She loves how furry and glittery her ornaments are, and she and Joseph have a running disagreement about whose series is the cutest.

Personally, I think it is kind of a tie...

Brighams love of trains continues unabated this year, and his ornament is a flashy number that lights up, moves, AND makes train noises!! Whoo-Whoo!!!!

What a fun ornament to have this year!!

Nicolette also continues with her fairy series this year, getting this playful "Marigold Fairy" to add to her collection.

If you ask Nicolette why her series is fairies, she'll tell you that it's because she has "Pixie Ears"!!! (and she really does!!)

This year, thanks to being a week out of surgery, the kids decorated the tree. Kaitlyn had actually done all the lights by herself several days before...and as you can see in the very first picture in this post, she did a fabulous job. My friend Tina Fabiano came over and made my bow and ribbons for me, and got up on the ladder to hang them, too. So now, with a little direction and caution from the armchair where I rested, my kids decorated the Christmas tree BY THEMSELVES!

They did a FABULOUS job...my tree looks GREAT!!! And I am so grateful to have such wonderful, magical kids!!

Merry Christmas, everyone!!

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!!

We had a great Christmas, even though it didn't QUITE turn out the way we'd planned. We had PLANNED to go camping, but one of Jason's loser managers called out sick and guess who had to work in his place? Yup - you guessed it...Jason.

At least we had a fabulous back-up plan, and got to spend Christmas Eve with friends. We were invited back to the same home we went to last year - the Inza's - to celebrate a Cuban Christmas...complete with roast pig, black beans and white rice, and yucca. We played a couple rousing games of Scum with the adults (the Inza's hosted 3 other families besides us), and headed home for the reading of the book of Luke and The Night Before Christmas. We also opened our Christmas Eve Elf gifts...that little guy always leaves new jammies for the kids, and this year included a board game, The Pirates of the Caribbean version of Life (obviously intended to be played at our camp-site...but oh well!).

We woke bright and early the next morning, 5am to be precise, to see what Santa brought. We weren't expecting much, as Santa had already provided the tickets to the Orlando theme parks the week before, but lo! and behold! we also had a Wii Fit and several Wii games waiting under the tree, and some VERY full stockings. One of the biggest highlights were the DVDs stuffed in the stockings...2 movies for each person...meaning we have 14 new movies to add to our vast DVD collection!! WOW!!

There were some very special gifts this year...my Mom has been sewing quilts for the kids, and she got both Kaitlyn's and Josephs done for Christmas. They are absolutely beautiful...Kaitlyn's is a beautiful, colorful star quilt...

Josephs has a appliqued dragon on the front, with scales that lift with surprises beneath. Both had matching pillows...

She also made everyone darling aprons for helping around the house and crafting.

Brigham and Nicolette also got new bikes (they had seriously out-grown their other bikes)...

Kaitlyn got a WHOLE LOTTA books; Jason got a new iPod and lots of new clothes...

Joseph got a Swiss Army Knife; Mom got her Book #3 Avatar Box Set; and Savannah got a iMike, a karaoke microphone that plugs into her iPod and lets her sing along to the lyrics and then applause's at her performance...We spent the day in our jammies, playing games and watching movies and eating junk...it was wonderful and relaxing and the kids had a ball....Merry Christmas, Everyone!!!!